24. The Unconscious Directs Attention
Imagine you’re walking down a path in the woods when you see a snake on the ground. You freeze and jump backwards. Your heart races. You’re ready to run away. But wait, it’s not a snake. It’s just a stick. You calm down and keep walking on the path. You noticed the stick, and even responded to it, in a largely unconscious way.
Sometimes you’re aware of your conscious attention, but often what you pay attention to is directed by your unconscious.
People Can’t Resist Paying Attention to Food, Sex, and Danger
Have you ever wondered why traffic always slows when people are driving by an accident? Do you moan about the fact that people are attracted by the gruesome, and yet find that you glance over too as you ...
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